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Surely Not Britannia bound?

Chester is frequently a stamping future ground for Royal Ascot hopefuls and following a second consecutive win for Surely Not in the Deepbridge Capital Handicap on Thursday, his next start could be in the Britannia at Royal Ascot.

He won twice as a two-year-old before being gelded during the winter and returned a two-and-a-quarter-length winner on handicap debut at Newmarket's Craven meeting. The three-year-old then defied a 7lb rise to score on the Roodee by half a length. In the small field of seven, he settled towards the back of the field with jockey William Buick making up ground fast down on the inside in the final furlong to win over Self Aclaim.

After the race trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis said: "We've made a good positive start to the season. It might stop tomorrow, but we've got some nice horses apart from the Amo-owned ones.

"I'm delighted with this horse. He failed the vet to go to Hong Kong and I just wanted to get him high enough to get into the Britannia. However, if it comes up quick ground at Royal Ascot he won't go."